Before Liz Lemon, before
"Weekend Update," before "Sarah Palin," Tina Fey was just a young girl
with a dream: a recurring stress dream that she was being chased through
a local airport by her middle-school gym teacher. She also had a dream
that one day she would be a comedian on TV.

She has seen both these dreams come true.

At last, Tina Fey's story can be told. From her youthful days as a vicious nerd to her tour of duty on Saturday Night Live;
from her passionately halfhearted pursuit of physical beauty to her
life as a mother eating things off the floor; from her one-sided college
romance to her nearly fatal honeymoon -- from the beginning of this
paragraph to this final sentence.

Tina Fey reveals all, and proves what we've all suspected: you're no one until someone calls you bossy.

My thoughts:This book honestly had me laughing from beginning until end! I don't know how this woman does it, but Tina was able to even make a terrible subject, like how she got the scar on her chin, sound funny, which normally isn't a laughable subject at all!!There was one chapter where Tina answers her "Fan mail", and it's actually just comments from random people on TMZ.com, or some other trash talking websites, where they completely bash Tina, and call her ugly. She handles it with such dignity! haha it was amazing!!Then there is a part where she discusses the pros and cons of breastfeeding your child. That was funny!

Goodness, there were just too many!!

I loved the parts where she talks about SNL. I've been watching on and off that show for a few years now, and just absolutely love some of the skits! (You may know her for her classic portrayal of Sarah Palin during the 2008 elections? ;)).

And then of course there's 30 Rock, which I know, I know, it's crazy to admit it, but I have never seen an episode! It's in my queue on netflix, but I just haven't had the chance!

Overall rating:

I highly recommend this one to fans of SNL, or just plain old looking for a great laugh! Tina definitely has a way with words! :)Happy New Year Everyone! I hope it will be a great one for us all!!! :)

The most Memorable Moments of this year for me were: (Top 5, I'll start with 5, and then my MOST memorable moment is #1!)

#5:

Screenshot I took while watching the Premiere of BD2 on Yahoo! :)

Robert Pattinson was staying in my TOWN over the summer!! Okay, so it wasn't for the best circumstances (during the Kristen Stewart scandal), but none the less he was staying less than like 2-4 miles away from my house!! How awesome is that?! IF only I could have met him!! Sigh...haha :)

#4:

Meg-A-Readers!!
WOW, that was SO much fun to host!! I honestly didn't think much would come out of it, because I thought I wouldn't be able to get my voice heard! With the thanks of Diana we were able to make it happen! And it was super fun! We'll be hosting again next year, so if you're a Meg Cabot fan, and a blogger, send me an email and I'll add you to the mailing list for next summer! :)

#3:

Passion and Prose on February 25th, 2012 ! I got to meet some of the coolest people ever! Not only awesome authors like Beth Revis (Across the Universe), Andrea Cremer (Nightshade), Marissa Meyer (Cinder), and SO many others, but also so many great people, including one of my now blogging friends, Alysia over at Little Pocket Books!

Absolutely an amazing and memorable day!

#2:

Meeting Meg Cabot!! Hands down one of the best moments of my life!! She was everything I imagined and more! Can't wait to meet and talk to her again one day!

#1:
Overall, everything that was accomplished this year, both personal goals and blogging goals! I made so many awesome friends, got to meet so many cool authors, went to some great events, got some amazing interviews, and accomplished so many things that I never would have thought possible a year ago! Thank you to everyone so much who reads The Romance Bookie, and has been here for me! :)

I got to meet Montana over at The Book Belles in April, at the Gayle Forman, Stephanie Perkins, and Nina LaCour signing. At the time I believe I became her FOURTH follower, and since then she has EXPLODED!! Pretty much literally!! She has over 1,000 Followers Now!! How awesome is that? Especially in such a short time! Super cute blog, I love her giveaways, reviews, and talking books with Montana!

2. Favorite Review that you wrote in 2012?
My favorite review...hmm...I don't know if I can choose just one! Honestly I have so much fun writing the majority of my reviews! The only time it gets difficult is when I REALLY want to write review where I'm not hurting the authors feelings if I didn't like it. And when I don't like a book, I'm also not a huge fan of writing reviews for those. But I do, because I like to write a review for every book I read.

3. Best discussion you had on your blog?
That answer would have be my post entitled The Hunger Games should be Bannedpost (it's not what you think!). Some really interesting comments on that one!4. Most thought-provoking review or discussion you read on somebody else's blog?

Hmm...I can't think of any specifics, but recently I did read a review on Goodreads that completely irked me! I was so upset after I read it that I had to comment. It was on someone's 1 star review of Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson, which I wasn't complaining that this person gave it one star, that honestly doesn't bother me (so she didn't like it, so what! I'm sure I have book I didn't like that she did), but what bothered me was this comment where she said something along the lines of that Melinda should get over the fact she was raped. I was like "WTF? Would YOU be able to get over that?"
So yeah, I do comment on things like that, and I did notice that this specific one had A LOT of negative comments!

And then Virtual Event wise, Meg-A Readers was AWESOME! Super fun! We had not only the support from Meg, herself!!, but also a ton of awesome Meg Cabot fans who joined in!

6. Best moment of book blogging in 2012?

Hands down meeting Meg Cabot and all of the other amazing authors! Meg-a readers was awesome!

And then getting contacted by all these great indie authors!

OH and getting my name in the acknowledgements in Lauren Clark's Dancing Naked In Dixie! That was an awesome moment!!

So many things to be thankful for!

7. Most popular post this year on your Blog (whether it be by comments or views)?

For me it was both comments and views!

I got over 1500 views on the "Hunger Games Should Be Banned" and 37 comments! It was a great discussion piece!

8. Post you wished Got a little more Love?
My first video post, my review for Breaking Dawn Part 2 movie, I sort of wish would have gotten a bit views, but you know that's all right! :)

9. Best bookish discover (book related sites, book stores, etc.)?
I love discovering new book blogs! Found really great ones this year that I go on regularly!10. Did you complete any reading challenges or goals that you set for yourself at the beginning of the year?
Yes and no! haha failed at the Harry Potter and ABC challenge! However, I did accomplish my 60 book challenge and even extended it to a 100 book challenge which I also completed!! And I completed and went beyond my ebook challenge too! Which was AWESOME!! :)
The HP challenge I'm extending until the end of next year! :) And the ABC challenge I want to attempt from the beginning next year again! :)

AND now to Looking ahead!!

1. One book your didn't get to in 2012 but will be your Number 1 priority in 2013?
Hmmm...Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins!

2. Book you are most anticipating for 2013?
How about bookS! :)

Scarlet by Marissa Meyer, Size 12 is the New Black and Awaken, both by Meg Cabot, Goldfish by Kody Keplinger, Simone Elkeles's new book, Sarah Dessen's new one, and Cassandra Clare's Clockwork Princess!! Gayle Forman's Just One Day! OH and Miranda Kenneally's new books too! :)

3. One thing you hope to accomplish or do in your reading/blogging in 2013?
I'd love to get more readers, however since I can't control that I'd just like to continue having fun! And possibly read more of my own books, instead of mostly review books from author requests. I mean, don't get me wrong I LOVE author requests, but sometimes I'd to read one of the books I bought at a book store after sitting in the store searching, and searching, reading back cover after back cover, and then FINALLY deciding on one! :)

And I just wanted to add this, because I believe it deserves a mention, but my the movie that made me laugh ridiculously hard this year, to the point where stomach hurt and my eyes had tears in them was...

Sunday, December 30, 2012

It is officially the END OF THE YEAR!!! Wow, it honestly feels like this year just flew by! It feels like just last month I went to Passion and Prose (which was in February!)

And that means discussing what has been our favorite reads of the year, right?!

Well, usually I come up with my own categories, like I did Last Year, however, this year I ran across something pretty cool! A Survey! I LOVE surveys!! I am serious! I love filling out things! haha

Anyway, there are some awesome questions on this survey that I think will round up and bring to an end this year very nicely!!

So here goes:

This survey was started by The Perpetual Page Turner!1. The Best Book you read in 2012? (You can break it down by genre if you want)
I am DEFINITELY breaking this up into categories! I read SO many awesome books this year!

Favorite New Series: Cinder by Marissa Meyer (LOVED this one SO much! I have been
DYING to get my hands on Scarlet (book 2) since reading Cinder in February!)

Favorite Paranormal Series Continuation: City of Lost Souls by Cassandra Clare(This is one of my absolute favorite series! I just love everything about these! The Characters, the story, the writing, everything! It is just brilliantly done!)

Favorite Contemporary: A Midsummer's Nightmare by Kody Keplinger (Kody just doesn't stop with AMAZING books! I love her characters because they are so relate able! This one was no exception, and I loved the extra surprise of having some of my favorite past characters make a cameo appearance in this one!)

Favorite Book in a Series that FINALLY Continued!: Size 12 and Readyto Rock by Meg
Cabot (I had been waiting for this book for FIVE Years!!)

Favorite Book that Made me Bawl my Eyes out: The Fault in Our Stars by John Green (My first ever John Green book, but definitely not my last! I had to stop reading this one while I was helping out in the fifth grade class I volunteer at every Thursday, because I could feel the tears start streaming! I was telling myself, "Mandy, you are not going to cry in front of these kids! No CRYING!!" I ended up having to finish it at home after school, and I was sitting their on my bed crying for like twenty minutes as I read those final last chapters!)

2. Book(s) you were Excited About & Thought You Were Going to Love More But Didn't?

I was SO looking forward to reading this! I was chosen as a Summer Ambuzzador on Random Buzzers, and I was really excited to help promote this one! However, once I read it, I was so disappointed! I absolutel disliked this book! The main character was awful! She never learned a lesson at all, I felt like! All the side characters, along with the MC, were really trashy, which was just sad! I just personally, could not stand this book! And it was my only 1 Star rating this year, I believe.

3. Most Surprising (in a good way!) book of 2012?

Hmm...good question. Let me see...I think I might go with Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum Series. Only because, I honestly hadn't heard that much about it before the movie came out. I guess I'm just not in the age group of its normal readers. But when I saw Katherine Heigl was in the movie, I knew
I wanted to read the book before seeing it.

And dang it surprised me by how HILARIOUS this series is!! I've only read one and two so far, but I've been collecting them at Thrift Stores, and just can't wait to continue them! However, I will admit the movie was quite a bit disappointing...definitely not as funny as the book!4. Book you recommended to people most in 2012?

There are actually a couple I think...

I remember recommending Cinder a lot, just because of how great it was. And then I recommended The Fault in our Stars and Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher, because of their messages. I recommend everything by Cassandra Clare all the time too!

5. Best Series you Discovered in 2012?

There were a few series that I started this year, that everyone seems to be talking about! It was great finally getting to them!

Among them were:

The Nightshade Series by Andrea Cremer (I've only read book 1, but I really liked it and I can't wait to read the next one!)

The Infernal Devices by Cassandra Clare (finally started this one shortly before or after (I can't remember haha) Clockwork Prince came out.)

Withering Tights by Louise Rennison (I loved this one! And I have been REALLY wanting to read book 2!! I think I'll get it out of the library, if they have it, next year!)

1-800-Where-R-You Series by Meg Cabot (I FINALLY read these this year! The first book had been sitting on my shelf for A LONG time, so I was definitely excited to finally read it! It was a great series, with a GREAT ENDING!! I LOVED that ending SO much!!)

6. Favorite new authors you discovered in 2012?

Marissa Meyer, whom I met in February at Passion and Prose, is an AWESOME new author! Her novel Cinder was amazing!
John Green (I know he's not a new author, but to me he was, because The Fault in my Stars was my
first John Green book, and I absolutely loved it!
And Louise Rennison, because I have never read any of her Confessions of Georgia Nicholson Series, which I've also heard great things about, and I just LOVED Withering Tights!

7. Best book that was out of your comfort zone or was a new genre for you?

I read this non-fiction Psychology book this year, that was SO completely out of my comfort zone, but absolutely surprised me because I felt like I got so much out of it! It was called The Psychopath Test by Jon Ronson (Review Here!)! Seriously check this one out if you get a chance! EXTREMELY interesting!

8. Most Thrilling, unputdownable book in 2012?

I'm going to go with Brian Selznick's The Invention of Hugo Cabret on this one. This book was absolutely gorgeous! It was so difficult for me to put it down, in the short few hours it took me to
finish it, because of the drawings! If you haven't read, or heard of Hugo, then you must know that this book consists of pictures and writing. But here's the thing that makes it so unique, compared to other picture books: The pictures TELL THE STORY! You can't skip them, because then you get lost in the story! It was so unique and amazing! Plus Selznick's picture are absolutely gorgeous!

9. Book you read in 2012 That you are Most Likely to Re-Read next year?

I'm not sure, if I'll 100% be rereading them, just because I have too many others to get to first, but if I were to reread any I read this year, it would most likely be Cinder by Marissa Meyer, Wanderlove by Kristen Hubbard (LOVED that one so much!) or The Twilight Saga for the hundredth time! Oh and possibly Catching Jordan by Miranda Kenneally!10. Favorite Cover of a Book you Read in 2012?There were A LOT of gorgeous covers this year! The ones I read include
Cassandra Clare's City of Lost Souls, Marissa Meyer's Cinder, and Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson (which I just recently read) (I just love that cover so much! It fits the story so perfectly!)

11. Most memorable character in 2012?

I was introduced to SO many amazing characters this year, and some I've been reading about for a while now! The ones that stick out the most for me are Anna and Etienne St. Clair from Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins, Clary and Jace from Cassie Clare's The Mortal Instrument Series, Cinder from Marissa's Cinder, Melinda from Laurie Halse Anderson's Speak! Jordan from Miranda Kenneally's Catching Jordan! There are just so many!! 12. Most Beautifully Written Book read in 2012?
The Fault in Our Stars by John Green. Absolutely beautiful book! And Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins! LOVED both of these so much!

13. Book that had the greatest impact on you in 2012?

Speak by Laurie Halse Andersonand The Fault in Our Stars by John Greenbecause both had such a great story line that absolutely devastated me! I had to sit there thinking about both for a while, especially TFIOS, because I just don't even want to think about something like that happening to someone I love.

14. Book you can't believe you waited UNTIL 2012 to finally read?

Probably Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins and Amy & Roger's Epic Detour, because
both are exactly the type of books I love! The PERFECT Teen Contemporary Romances!

15. Favorite Passage/Quote From a Book You Read in 2012?

-"I'm telling you it's fu*%inghard to be classy." -One for the Money by Janet Evanovich
- "I'm in love with you," he said quietly.
"Augustus," I said.
"I am," he said. He was staring at me, and I could see the corners of his eyes crinkling. "I'm in love with you, and I'm not in the business of denying myself the simple pleasure of saying true things. I'm in love with you, and I know that love is just a shout into the void, and that oblivion is inevitable, and that we're all doomed and that there will come a day when all our labor has been returned to dust, and I know the sun will swallow the only earth we'll ever have, and I am in love with you." -The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

And I'm sure a ton of others, but I just don't know them off the top of my head right now! :)

16. Shortest & Longest Book you Read in 2012?

Longest: Breaking Dawn with 756 pages, however, it was like my hundredth time rereading it, so definitely not too bad! :)

Shortest: In a way this book could technically fall into both categories, because it was one of the longest books I read (page wise), but at the same
time the shortest because over half of it you just sort of look at and skim through:

The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick at 522 pages
And Wonderstruck by Brian Selznick too, at 640 pages.

These both took me a couple of hours to get through, and that with a couple of breaks in between! Such great stories, and told through a seriously interesting and unique way!

17. Book that Had a Scene in it that had you reeling and dying to talk to somebody about it? (A
WTF moment, an epic revelation, a steamy kiss, etc.) Be careful of spoilers!
Okay, before I say what this one is, let me just promise you I am NOT a perv!! The only reason why I really wanted to discuss this one with people was to see what they thought of it! There are so many reasons to hate and love this book/series, that it's interesting to hear why from people! And that series is Fifty Shades of Grey by EL James. 18. Favorite Relationship from a book you read in 2012 (be it romantic, friendship, etc.)?

There were a few that I truly enjoyed and just loved! The three off the top of my head right now are:
Jordan and Sam from Catching Jordan (love how it evolved! And I've always loved a guy and girl best friendship!
Anna and Etienne St. Clair from Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins (same reason pretty much as Catching Jordan).
And Whitney and Nathan from Kody Keplinger's A Midsummer's Nightmare (loved the drama that ensued after their rocky start! Whitney was such a damaged great character, it was nice seeing Nathan put her back together again, piece by piece)

19. Favorite Book you Read in 2012 from an Author you Read Previously?

Meg Cabot and Kody Keplinger both came out with amazing books this year! Oh and Cassie Clare! Those books were Size 12 and Ready to Rock (Meg), A Midsummer's Nightmare (Kody), and City of Lost Souls (Cassie)! All great books that I highly recommend!

20. Best book you read that you read based SOLELY on a recommendation from Somebody Else?:Well, I got a lot of author requests this year, and with those came some amazing books! Those
included In Need of Therapy by Tracie Banister and Night Sky and Knee Deep by Jolene Perry!
All three of these books were absolutely great! Tracie's was hilarious! Loved the main character! Jolene's were touching and absolutely beautifully written! After I read both of Jolene's I went on Goodreads and Amazon and checked her other books to add to my wishlist! :)

So those are all the books I loved this year!!

Tomorrow I'll be posting Part 2 of this, but this time instead of discussing my favorite books of the year, I'll be discussing my favorite Blogging Moments of the year! :)

Bliss
Edwards is about to graduate from college and still has hers. Sick of
being the only virgin among her friends, she decides the best way to
deal with the problem is to lose it as quickly and simply as possible-- a
one-night stand. But her plan turns out to be anything but simple when
she freaks out and leaves a gorgeous guy alone and naked in her bed with
an excuse that no one with half-a-brain would ever believe. And as if
if that weren't embarrassing enough, when she arrives for her first
class of her last college semester, she recognizes her new theatre
professor. She'd left him naked in her bed about 8 hours earlier.

My Thoughts:Overall, I really liked this one. I loved the story, the characters were pretty great, and some of the smaller elements too, like that Bliss was in college.

Before I go into all the things I liked though, I would like to say I'm not a huge fan of this cover. The guy in it looks a bit creepy to me...or is that totally just me??

Anyway now to what I liked!!

I really loved this story concept. I loved how Bliss, even though she thought she just wanted to get rid of her virginity at the beginning, ended up waiting. I've never understood why a girl would want to give something like that to just any random guy. She was a pretty relate able character though, which I also liked! I also enjoyed getting a bit of a look into the theater world! That was interesting!

My overall rating?

There were bits and pieces that were a bit too cheesy for me, like some of the dialogue; but maybe that may have been because the main male character is from England...which is totally hot!
Overall the story reminded quite a bit of Jamie McGuire's Beautiful Disaster. It dealt with a lot of the same issues, minus the whole teacher-student relationship.

Overall, I definitely recommend this one to fans of Jamie's Beautiful Disaster! It was a great fast read. I love these types of contemporaries, so it was great to just be able to escape into one! Just what I needed! :)

So that's it from me once again. Hope everyone is having a great week!

Thursday, December 27, 2012

I first got contacted by Anthea Sharp, back in Fall of last year; she was one of the first authors to ask me to read her novel, which was extremely exciting (and still is!!!). I've been waiting to find out the conclusion to her addicting trilogy, Feyland, since THEN!

Well, I've finally found out!!!

Anthea contacted me a few weeks ago, and sent me a copy of the final book in the Feyland Trilogy, which was officially released earlier this month!

For my past reviews, go HERE, for book 1, Feyland: The Dark Realm, andHERE for book 2, Feyland: The Bright Court.

Now, if you haven't heard of or read the first two books in the series, I'd recommend doing so first, because this review and description may contain spoilers from the previous two novels!

Jennet
Carter and Tam Linn are almost out of time. Feyland, the most immersive
computer game ever designed, is about to be released into the
world—along with the Realm of Faerie’s dangerous magic.

WIN THE GAME…

The
faeries, desperate to break free from their realm, have set treacherous
plans in motion. Despite magical allies of their own, Jennet and Tam
have no idea what dire threats await, both in-game and out.

OR DIE TRYING…

Battling
for their lives against the united powers of the Dark Queen and Bright
King, Jennet and Tam’s quest to stop the fey takes them into the
perilous Twilight Kingdom, where illusion reigns—and magic can break all
the rules.

My Thoughts:

I have seriously enjoyed this series from beginning until this ending! It is unique, enthralling, keeps you at the edge of your seats at times, and has great characters!

When I first started this series, I was worried, because I am not a gamer. I enjoy playing a video game once in a while, but not often, when I play it's usually a Mario game, Band Hero, or a car racing game. Usually I pick up a book instead.

What I soon realized was that it may take place inside a video game, but overtime you sort of find yourself forgetting that, and getting into the world of Feyland!

Great series, and highly recommended! :)

Overall rating:

I truly enjoyed this series, and can't wait to read more from Anthea, and possibly Feyland!! :)

OH and before I forget, guess whose name was in the acknowledgements???

Tuesday, December 25, 2012

Wow, what a busy time of year!! We didn't even have time to decorate the cookies this year, but it's been also a fun one!! :)

It's not only Christmas Day today, but also TUESDAY, which mean Music Tuesday!! :)

Here's another one of my favorite holiday tunes!!

I hope everyone enjoys their time with their families, friends, and possibly a bit of Ella ;)!

I'm off for some yummy leftover Christmas Eve food, and a marathon of Big Bang Theory (because as soon as my dad opens up that Christmas present, that's all that matters! haha)

Merry Christmas!!

The Romance Bookie :)

PS: I don't know how it happened, but I just want to say Thank you for the LOAD Of new followers of gotten the last two days! WOW! I've never gotten THIRTY-THREE new followers over TWO days!! That's awesome!!

Thursday, December 20, 2012

Hey Everyone!
Today I've got an interview with Tahlia Newland, the author of the new book Lethal Inheritance!

The Romance Bookie: In a few sentences tell us about your book Lethal Inheritance.

Tahlia Newland: Lethal Inheritance is about a seventeen year old girl whose mother is kidnapped by shadow demons. Since no one else can see them, Ariel has to mount the rescue mission herself. She follows the demons into another layer of reality where she discovers that they’re hunting her and they feed on fear. She must defeat the demons before they kill her and enslave her mother. Along the way, she battles treacherous terrain, murderous earth spirits, self-doubt and a dangerous attraction to a young Warrior.

TRB: How did you come up with the concept?TN: So many YA fantasy novels have heroes and heroines who use paranormal abilities to win their battles, and I always thought, ‘yeah, well it’s okay if you’re special like that, but what if you’re just an ordinary person, what powers do we all have that, if developed, could be used to battle the bad guy. Mind power was the obvious choice. It’s something very under-utilised in our society; but what if there was a society that had refined their minds to such an extent that they became really powerful, almost a kind of magic?

I used my knowledge of the mind gained from years of study and practice of meditation to create the Warrior’s system for developing and using mental powers. It might be fantasy, but it’s based on reality. You could develop these same powers, but the demons you’d be defeating are inside you, not outside.

I also had to consider what kind of situation would force someone to develop that power, a kind of learn to meditate or die situation. That’s how I came up with demons who fed on negative emotions.

TRB: While it is a paranormal story involving Demons, did you still find yourself putting some personal characteristics into your main character, Ariel?TN: I think it’s hard not to. Ariel has my curiosity and desire to understand what’s going on. She asks questions until she’s very clear on situations. She’s also willing to do what she has to do, even if it means taking a knife to a demon before she has any idea what’s going on, but another part of herself just wants to curl up with a good book and forget about reality.

In other ways she’s not like me at all, for example, I’m not sporty like she is, and I was never scared of having a boyfriend.

TN: I loved creating the world. I’ve always been fascinated with the idea that there are worlds within our worlds that we just can’t see. The view of the mountain realm—as shown in the map that’s in that post—came to me in the middle of the night like a scene in a movie. It was so real I could feel it and almost smell it. After that, I could just imagine I was there and in my mind, I was there. I used to love going to visit, and when I was there, the scenes from the story just appeared in my mind without any effort.

It took a long time to work out the details though. I had to keep refining the parameters of the world until it everything fitted. A world has to make sense and everyone in it has to be bound by the same laws.

TRB: When did you first begin writing? And why?

TN: I started writing it in 2007, and by the time I got an agent to represent the book in 2010, I’d also written the first draft of the 3 sequels. But my full time job finished at the end of 2007, and I went onto casual work, so I had plenty of time to write.

TRB: Why did I start?

TN: The scenes just started popping into my head and I had to write them down. I was very inspired, and the more I wrote, the more scenes revealed themselves. I felt like I was unearthing a story, rather than writing it.

TRB: The last book you read and loved?

TN: Angel by Laura Lee. It’s contemporary fiction about a couple of guys, but it’s absolutely beautiful. I also loved Linda Gillard’s The Glass Guardian and also Emotional Geology, both are beautifully written books. Another favourite is On the Soul of a Vampire by Krisi Keley. It’s very different to most vampire books and deeply spiritual.

TRB: What do you prefer: hardcopies or ebooks? Why?

TN: Ebooks. They’re cheaper, lighter and don’t take up space. They’re also easy to get rid of if you don’t want to keep them.

TRB:Any advice for aspiring writers?

TN: Heaps
Learn your craft.
Learn to be self-critical (after you’ve written the first draft)
don’t be defensive when people criticise your work. They’re not putting you down, they’re helping you to make your writing better.
Get at least 10 opinions before you even think of submitting a manuscript to an agent, (preferably not your family & friends unless they’re avid readers and prepared to be completely honest)
Leave your work for at least 3 months before submitting it. Read lots of books during that time, then look at your book again. I’ll bet you’ll be able to improve it.
Don’t submit to all agents and publishers at the same time.
Start with the traditional route, at least for your first book. It gives you the time & impetus to keep refining your work, and good rejections are very encouraging.
If you are interested in self-publishing, consider it very carefully. If you do it badly, it’ll kill your career. There’s a lot of hype about it, but the sales figures indicate that 49% of self published authors sell less than 10 books each month, and they work really hard for it. The main reason why publishers reject excellent books is that they don’t think they’ll sell well, so you have to ask yourself if you can do a better job of selling your book than an established publisher can.

Monday, December 17, 2012

In the spirit of coming together for the holidays, eight popular Chick Lit authors are "partying it up" with a shared promotion for book lovers! That means eight fun and fizzy e-books, each priced at $3.99 or less, that are packed with plenty of laughs and romance to keep you entertained on those long winter nights! And if you'd like to gift one of these books to a Chick Lit fan, we've got you covered with your choice of paperbacks!

Which books are featured in this festive promo?

Finding Lucas by Samantha Stroh Bailey - Daytime talk show producer Jamie Ross is beyond fed up with her toxic bad boy turned metrosexual boyfriend. Spurred on by her gang of quirky friends, she goes on a hilarious, at-times disastrous, and totally life-changing hunt to track down the "one who got away." But are some loves best left behind? E-book and paperback available on Amazon.

In Need of Therapy by Tracie Banister - Handling the problems of hysterical hypochondriacs, lovelorn neurotics, and compulsive man whores is all in a day's work for super-shrink Pilar Alvarez. But can she deal with her crazy Cuban family, a trio of unsuitable suitors, and a threat to her practice without ending up on the couch herself? E-book available on Amazon and Barnes & Noble; paperback available on Amazon.

What the Dog Ate by Jackie Bouchard - Discovering what her dog ate turns Maggie Baxter’s world upside down. With her chocolate Lab, Kona, as her guide, can Maggie forego her overly analytical ways to find a new life filled with tail-wagging joy? E-book available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and iTunes; paperback available on Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

The Girl, the Gold Tooth, & Everything by Francine LaSala - Suburban housewife Mina, beaten-down and struggling with amnesia, starts getting her memory and her mojo back. But she soon learns everything has a price in this fast-paced, richly layered, and darkly humorous satire! E-book and paperback available on Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

Breaking the Rules by Cat Lavoie - When Roxy Rule shares a passionate kiss with her lifelong best friend, she must come to terms with her feelings for him while dealing with two sisters in full crisis mode, a boss who makes her want to stab herself with a letter opener and a fiancé who can't wait to walk down the aisle. Can she keep it together--or will she break under the pressure? E-book available on Amazon, Kobo, and Barnes & Noble; paperback available on Amazon.

Fashioning a Romance by Libby Mercer - Devastatingly handsome and deliciously weird, John Harrington is the man of Caitlyn Taylor's dreams… and her nightmares. She has no use for a womanizer like him, and dodges his advances like a pro. But when they end up in Paris together, Caitlyn feels her resolve begin to slip. How will she ever be able to resist the irresistible in the most romantic city in the world? E-book available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Kobo.

A State of Jane by Meredith Schorr - Jane Frank is newly single after nine years and looking for a second chance at love. But when she dives head first into the NYC dating scene and finds it infested with flakes who are interested today and gone tomorrow, it may be time for Jane to turn the tables! E-book available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and iTunes; paperback available on Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

Picture Perfect by Lucie Simone - Lauren Tate's perfectly planned life quickly unravels at the seams when a smear campaign threatens her career as a top TV executive, but she learns just how cutthroat showbiz can truly be when the hottest scandal in Tinsel Town turns deadly and the Hollywood hunk who's stolen her heart goes missing. E-book available on Amazon; paperback available on Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

These are all super affordable right now on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Kobo (some), and iTunes (some)!!! :)

Thanks everyone and I hope you check a few of these out! :) I'm definitely looking forward to reading them! :) I can vouch to say that In Need of Therapy by Tracie Banister is super cute and funny!!

For fourteen-year-old Eve Hallows, life can be summed up in one
word—horrible. She has the most horrible friends. She lives in a
horrible old castle. Even her family is a bunch of horrible monsters.

However, in the monster-inhabited world of Gravesville—a world where
messages are sent through Ouija boards, jack-o’-lanterns get facials to
suit their moods, and the worst thing Eve has to deal with are those
annoying zombie tourists who overrun her favorite graveyard during the
Halloween season—horrible means wonderful. And everything for Eve is
perfectly horrible.

But her life is about to go head over heels when a mysterious group
known as The Source starts terrorizing Gravesville. Now she must move
to the human world—where everything is opposite ... and for Eve, that's
absolutely adorable!

I've got an excerpt from the novel:

Tonight, the graveyard was
packed with tourists. We get a lot of them this time of year—zombies
from up north. They were the rudest, most annoying creatures. And that
whole brain-eating thing? I don’t care where you live, that’s just poor
manners. Not to mention, they were having so much fun out there in the
graveyard, which made me dislike them even more. I wanted to be out
there, too.

Sunday, December 16, 2012

So I don't know if some of you know (I've mentioned this before in the last couple months), but my family and have been moving into our new home!

My little brother and I started about a month ago. It was a slow process...

My parents have been building our home for the past FIVE years!! For the past five years we've been living in a pretty small home, where we each had our own bedroom (THANK GOD!!), but only ONE bathroom!!

Yes, one bathroom for FOUR people!!! It was insane in the mornings!!

Anyway, we now officially have each our own bathroom!!! :) YAY!!

Anyway...

My dad put up my last shelf today!! :)

I always knew I had an insane amount of books, but didn't truly realize how bad it was, until I started moving them to all my new room...it took about 6 trips!! (luckily, our new house is in the back yard, so I just had to use a wagon, or dolly to cart them all over in boxes!) But still!! 6 trips!!

In my old bedroom, my bookshelves consisted of two shelves, which were wide enough to stack books back to back, so each shelf had two rows of books, one row in front, and one behind the front one. It was a bit annoying because I couldn't get to some of my favorites, and I hated covering them up! But there just wasn't enough room!

Anyway, my dad built me some gorgeous shelves...the one problem is that I need a ladder to get to my books! It took me forever to figure out the organization system!! But I THINK I finally figured it out!!

So before I share the pictures of my new shelves now, let me show you the BEFORE picture, of how my new room looked after I had put all my books on my carpet...

Pretty crazy right!!

Anyway, I was able to spray paint one of the bookshelves and am now using it as my shelf of books I have NOT read...

Other than like two books in that shelf, I have not read any of those!!

Now to my finished shelves!!!

These are the three shelves over my desk! That whole wall, below the shelves, are also book related!! I've got my framed Passion and Prose signatures, in a collage. Then my Meg Cabot signatures (two frames dedicated to those!), my Simone Elkeles letter and signature is on that wall too! :)

The top shelf is all my childhood books, including my Chicken Soup collection, Nancy Drew books, the classics I have (both ones I read for high school English classes), and ones I've read for fun! And books I've received from Indie authors as requests to read, and have read and reviewed! :)

The second shelf includes my Pretty Little Liars Series, The Lying Game Series,The Hunger Games, and other YA books!

And the bottom shelf, includes all my favorites that I wouldn't mind rereading one day! Those include all my Meg Cabot books, Simone Elkeles, Emily Giffin, Nicholas Sparks, and others! :)

Now this shelf! This shelf is right over my bed which, btw is absolutely gorgeous too!!

Current Giveaways!

Facebook Page

Follow Me On Twitter!

About Me

Hello My name is Mandy! I am the founder and creator of The Romance Bookie, which I started in December of 2010. Ever since my freshman year of high school, reading has been a huge part of my life. While I've grown as a person over the past couple of years, and reading hasn't become the #1 priority it used to be, it still is a huge part of my life, and is part of the reason I am the person I am today.
I am always looking forward to connecting with other readers, and have met some amazing people because of The Romance Bookie, so anytime you're looking to talk about books or need a recommendation, I'll be happy to give it! My email is: romancebookie@yahoo.com :).
Oh, and you can also follow me on my all new TWITTER page!
Here is the link:
https://twitter.com/#!/RomanceBookie